as in steering
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1
as in guiding
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed
piloted the figure skater through the national championships
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in conducting
to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front
the lead rider piloted the rest of the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in navigating
to operate or control the course of
managed to pilot the plane to safety despite the failure of the left engine
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piloting
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Qu said the company sees it as a hobby-grade product aimed at users who want a closer approximation of real piloting.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
Give Charlotte credit for a forward-thinking move rather than auto-piloting into his next contract, but the short-term consequence is that there are no qualified starting centers here.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
With Kinta piloting, and Momo’s psychic powers fused with Aira’s hair abilities, the group makes a desperate attempt to shift the battle in their favor.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Next comes some fancy piloting, the detachment of the thrusters, and then the scavenger ship is effectively so much deadweight in space, at least for now.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Given its long range and the high likelihood of operating in an environment compromised by electronic warfare system, the Liutyi is not designed for remote piloting.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Village Board decided to keep the slip lane, but provide removable bollards to allow for flexible closure for events/peak season, thereby maintaining traffic flexibility, allowing seasonal dining and a temporary plaza and piloting long-term improvements.
—Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Among CFOs deploying some form of AI at scale, including machine learning, GenAI, or agentic, over 40% are highly satisfied with AI results, compared to just 25% at companies still piloting AI, according to the report.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
This included troubleshooting the capsule’s space toilet (multiple times), piloting the spacecraft by hand, and testing procedures such as sheltering from solar radiation in the cargo locker.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This phase, Spinnova said, marks the shift from piloting to consistent, high-quality manufacturing.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026
The community is one of a handful piloting a program to help houses survive wildfires.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
California state employees, meanwhile, are piloting Poppy, a generative AI tool that can produce executive summaries, retrieve data for reports and audits and automate technical processes.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Healey’s office says the DTA will begin piloting the program later this year.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
At the end of the day, the crew will try out Orion’s manual piloting capability by steering the spacecraft through a variety of tasks.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Qu said the company sees it as a hobby-grade product aimed at users who want a closer approximation of real piloting.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
Give Charlotte credit for a forward-thinking move rather than auto-piloting into his next contract, but the short-term consequence is that there are no qualified starting centers here.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
With Kinta piloting, and Momo’s psychic powers fused with Aira’s hair abilities, the group makes a desperate attempt to shift the battle in their favor.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Next comes some fancy piloting, the detachment of the thrusters, and then the scavenger ship is effectively so much deadweight in space, at least for now.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Given its long range and the high likelihood of operating in an environment compromised by electronic warfare system, the Liutyi is not designed for remote piloting.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Ahead of the school year, former Superintendent Sean Maika and Anthony Jarrett, then the district’s chief instructional officer and now Maika’s interim successor, approached Hughes about piloting the program.
—Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Village Board decided to keep the slip lane, but provide removable bollards to allow for flexible closure for events/peak season, thereby maintaining traffic flexibility, allowing seasonal dining and a temporary plaza and piloting long-term improvements.
—Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Among CFOs deploying some form of AI at scale, including machine learning, GenAI, or agentic, over 40% are highly satisfied with AI results, compared to just 25% at companies still piloting AI, according to the report.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
This included troubleshooting the capsule’s space toilet (multiple times), piloting the spacecraft by hand, and testing procedures such as sheltering from solar radiation in the cargo locker.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This phase, Spinnova said, marks the shift from piloting to consistent, high-quality manufacturing.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026
The community is one of a handful piloting a program to help houses survive wildfires.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
California state employees, meanwhile, are piloting Poppy, a generative AI tool that can produce executive summaries, retrieve data for reports and audits and automate technical processes.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Healey’s office says the DTA will begin piloting the program later this year.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piloting
Noun
-
Even without the latest new-fangled gadgets, anglers are more technologically equipped than ever with things like GPS, electronic contour maps of lakes auto-steering trolling motors.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Novice players can engage smart steering to make the game even more fun to play.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to the tourism board, the site is also home to a lighthouse, which has been guiding vessels along the Portuguese coast since 1772.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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The auto conglomerate, which owns a three-fourths stake in Porsche, acquired the French hypercar maker in 1998 and has played a crucial role in establishing and guiding its modern identity.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Scientists are conducting studies to learn more about the potential risk to people who hunt or eat deer or elk meat, for example, by determining if they are diagnosed with prion diseases more often than people who do not.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In The Second Lady, when America’s beloved First Lady is abducted and replaced by a Russian double, both women must fight to survive—one navigating captivity in Siberia, the other infiltrating the White House to sabotage NATO during the G7 Summit.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Detailed instructions for navigating these closures can be found on P3R's website.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
John McCann, the incumbent mayor of Chula Vista who owns a real estate and property management company, is seeking another term in office, running on a record of economic development, public safety and neighborhood investment.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
County officials said the move was intended to create a more centralized and accountable system, following audits that raised concerns about LAHSA’s financial management.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Washington product played all four of his collegiate seasons for Fisch, a one-time Broncos assistant who’s part of the coaching trees of Mike Shanahan and Sean McVay.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The difference between coaching Bronny James and coaching LeBron James’ son, Redick said, was important to the Lakers star.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then Toluca goalkeeper Luis García watched as Tillman drilled a running header just wide.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There are lessons to be learned from the more niche running brands that are increasingly showing up at the smaller (but equally crowded) marathon weekends.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Last year, its three-person staff was consolidated under the Library Department, which left it without direct access to city leadership, and its executive director position was cut.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This report distils the implications of the Hormuz closure and the wider Iran–US war for engineering leadership.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piloting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piloting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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